Lock shell and plug assembly



Jan. 21, 1958 H. E. SOREF ETA L LOCK SHELL AND PLUG ASSEMBLY Filed Aug.6, 1-954 FIG 5.

' W 619%? BY 7 r ATTQRNEYS United Stats Patent O LOCK SHELL AND PLUGASSEMBLY Harry E. Soref and Daniel J. Foote, Milwaukee, Wis., as-

signors to Master Lock Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation ofWisconsin Application August 6, 1954, Serial No. 448,248

1 Claim. (Cl. 70-367) This invention relates to improvements in the lockshell and plug assembly.

In certain types of locks, the lock body or casing contains a cylinderassembly into which a specially shaped or formed key is inserted toactuate certain tumbler pins or the like to operate and release the lockmechanism. In locks of this type the cylinder assembly includes acylinder or shell having reciprocatably mounted'in transverse borestherein spring actuated driver pins, and a cylindrical plug is rotatablymounted within the shell or cylinder and is customarily held inassembled condition by a retaining washer at one end of the plug andshell assembly. Retention of the parts in the specified relationship isimportant because the plug is formed with transverse bores therein whichmust aline with similar bores in the shell to reciprocatably hold aseries of different length tumbler pins which are alined with driverpins in the bores of the shell.

Heretofore, in the manufacture 'of locks and padlocks of the type underconsideration it has been the practice to hold the shell and plugassembly together by slipping a washer over the outwardly projecting endportion of the plug after the plug and shell have been assembled,followed by an operation to squeeze the washer into a pre formed groovein the plug. When this conventional mode of assembling lock shells andplugs is utilized, there is always the possibility of obtaining a freezeas between the plug and shell because of warped or untrue washers,arichfurthermore, because of slight variations in sizes it is di tlicultto slip the washers over the ends of the plugs and the minute size ofthe washers renders them difficult to handle. Additionally theconventional method of assembly above described involves many steps andoperations in the blanking, washing and preparation of the washers.

With the foregoing in mind it is a general object of the presentinvention to eliminate the difiiculties involved in connection with theassembly of lock plugs and shells using independent washers by formingone end of the shell with a ring integral with the shell and thereafterwhen the plug is properly inserted in the shell locally deforming spacedportions of the ring to engage in the plug groove for the purpose ofholding the plug in assembled relation within the shell.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method ofassembling lock shells and plugs which eliminates the need for separatewashers and the attendant difliculty of properly forming, preparing andassembling small parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method ofassembling lock shells and plugs wherein a malleable or deformableretaining ring is formed integral with an end portion of the shell andin accurate registration with the shell bore eliminating difiicultassembly of pre-formed independent washers which may have size and shapevariations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method 2,820,360Patented Jan. 21, 1958 'ice of assembling lock shells and plugs which iscommercially practical and expeditious, eliminates the disadvantageoususe of tight or binding washers, which is economical, and which is welladapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of theimproved art of lock shell and plug manufacture, and all of the parts,steps and combinations incident thereto.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference charactersindicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a lock having the improved shell and plugassembly, parts being broken away and in section to show structuraldetails;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shell before the assembly therewith of theplug and before the clinching or deformation of the integral shell ring;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the shell with the integral ring before theplug has been assembled;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the assembled lock shell and plug showing onemanner of deformation of diametrically opposed portions of the integralring into the plug groove;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar view partly in vertical section, taken on line 6-6of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a shell with an integral ring showing analternative arrangement for the deformation or squeezing of the ring.

Inasmuch as padlocks utilize shell and plug assemblies, the presentimprovements will be described in connection with a padlock asillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, although it is to be understoodthat the invention is more generally applicable and is not to berestricted to the particular type of lock illustrated.

The lock body or casing is indicated by the numeral 8 and the interiorof the same has partitions and walls to define cavities for certain ofthe lock mechanisms. As is conventional in locks of the type underconsideration there is mounted in the body and extending outwardly ofthe inner or upper end thereof, a shackle 9 having an extension armportion extending into a cavity in the body 8 and arranged withmechanism to permit yielding reciprocatory movement of the shackle, whenreleased, and swinging movement thereof. The releasable arm of theshackle is lockingly engaged by a spring urged lock lever 10 within acavity in the body and the lever is set and released by means of themutilated projecting inner end portion 11 of a slotted cylindrical plug11 most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6 and forming a part of acylinder assembly, which assembly also includes a shell 12. The shell 12is of less length than the plug 11 and encloses the plug in a manner sothat the plug may turn in the shell, with the shell being anchoredagainst turning movement by a lateral extension 12 on the shell,confined within a suitable recess therefor in the body, when the lockmechanism is completely assembled.

The lateral extension portion 12' of the shell is provided with a seriesof bores 13 closed at their outer ends but opening at their inner endsthrough the inner wall of the main cylindrical portion of the shell 12.Each bore 13 has mounted therein, against a spring 14, a reciprocatabledriver pin 15, said driver pins all being of the same length. The plug11 is also provided in one wall portion with a series of transversebores 16 open at both ends and which when the plug and shell areassembled, aline with the shell bores 13 and form continuations thereof.Adapted to be reciprocatably mounted within the plug bores 16 aretumbler pins 17 which, in a given assemblage, are of predeterminedvarying lengths. When the assemblage is locked the spring urged driverpins 15 may projectthe tumhlerrpinsrfl. laterally inwardly with thedriver pins then extending partially into the bores 160i the plug tothereby prevent relative turning movement between the plug and shell.However, when a proper key; 18. .isinsertedinto theslot ,19, thereforinthe; plug the tumbler pins 17 are forced outwardly-to. urge the :driverpins -15.rout,of .plug bores 16 so that .-the2abutting endsoi' theSeries.0f:-pins15 and 17 he alongthe line of separation of theplug: 11and shell 12 to .permit turning movement of. the plug-relative to 'theshell, whereby thexmutilated end ll' ofthe plug can operate theelever10.

From the description thus far given whichapplies to conventionalpadlocksof the:;type villustrated, it isapparent that ,the plug '11,;must be susceptible of rotation Within the shell 12 but it must beretained in propenassembled condition within {the shell :to maintainalinement of :the plugbores-lfiwith the tshellzbores 13. The, presentinvention is concernedzessentiallywith the construction-whichpermitseasy,and.- accurate assembly of the shell andplug.

By reference to the drawing it will appear that the inner .or upperendof the :cylindrical shell -is initially provided with acollar120.-which isinwardly stepped from the outer periphery-oftheadjacent endof the shell but whosez inner. periphery normally coincideswith the bore of the shell. Figs..2 and 3l-showithe cylindrical shellwith the collar .20. .-As; was-previouslyexplained the plug 11 is ofgreater length than the shell 12 and. -the first step of :the assemblyisto. insert the plug into the bore of the shell in a manner so that themutilatedprojecting portion 11'. of the plug projects beyond the. upperortinner' end of the shell and-.an annulapexternalp,groove 2l qin theplug registers with the shell collar20. To. completethe assembly spacedapart-portions of the: collar-.20, which is slightly malleable .017bendablemay be--squeezed;.-or dee formed :inwardlyras-atZZ tinFigs.-4.and Sato engage; in the plug groove 21. By this:simple,expedient the plug and shellare .held together in assembledconditionandare prevented from axial displacementLbut-relative rtation ofthe twomembers is permitted.

The .deformation :or bending: of; thev collar.20 into the groove 21,-.as at 22, may takeplaceat anypoints within thecircumferenee-of thecollar. Asqdisclosed. in Figs. 4, 5-.and6, theinwardly deformedportions, 22 are diametrically opposed.-However,..it,iszpossible,.torsqueeze or deform portions ofthe collarinto thegmoveatother pointsas, for instance, thetour-point deformationshown in Fig. 7 with the. spaced-apart. squeezed-ordeformed extents 22or other similar arrangements.

"Due to' the fact thatthe collar 20 is formed integrally with the shell,manufacture and assembly ,is simplified. .It is unnecessary for theassembler to locate a separate washer to slip over the projecting end ofthe plug and engage the same in the groove, and the hazards of bindingand warped washers is eliminated. By virtue of the present invention,after the, plug has been inserted into the bore of the cylinder, 21-quick squeezing operation to desired portions of the collar: will deformsaid portions of the collar into the pluggroove 21. The operation can beaccomplished very quickly-with limited skill" and the hazards ofimproper assemblyor poorly fitted parts is eliminated.

The-improved lock shell and .-plug assembly and the method of formingthe same are simple, inexpensive and well adapted for-the purposes setforth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

In a padlock assembly having a cylindrical shell with a cylindricalopening extending-axially therethrough and a cylindrical plug rotatablymounted within the shellwith its cylindrical. portion projecting beyondone end thereof, the projectingcylindrical end portion of the plug beingformed .withagroove and having a stepped mutilated lockmechanismoperating extension, .means for preventing axial .displacement of. theplug relative to the shell consistingofa collar integral with andforming an extension of the end of the, shell through which the plugprojects,

the. bore of :the major portion'of. the collar coinciding with. andforming anextension of thebore of the shell but .theoutsidediameter ofthe collar being less than the outsidediameter of the shell, and spacedprojections on the inner side ofv the collar entering the plug groovebeyond the main body portion of the shell and permitting relativerotation of the plug andshell.

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